تَذَكَّر وَطبَهُ لَمّا رَآني

تَذَكَّر وَطبَهُ لَمّا رَآني

أَقلِبُ صَعدَة مِثلَ الهِلالِ

أَقلِبُ صَعدَة مِثلَ الهِلالِ

He remembered his milk-skin when he saw me,

He remembered my pasture when he saw me

As I brandished a lance like the crescent moon.

Turning the hill like a crescent moon

وَأَسلَمَ عِرسَهُ لَمّا اِلتقَينا

وَأَسلَمَ عِرسَهُ لَمّا اِلتقَينا

وَأَيقَنَ أَنَّنا صُهبُ السِبالِ

وَأَيقَنَ أَنَّنا صُهبُ السِبالِ

And he abandoned his wife when we met,

And he surrendered his wedding night when we met

And knew for certain that we were tawny-mustached.

And was certain that we were the brave heroes

فَإِن يَبرَأَ فَلَم أَنفُث عَلَيهِ

فَإِن يَبرَأَ فَلَم أَنفُث عَلَيهِ

وَإِن يَهلَك فَإِنّي لا أُبالي

وَإِن يَهلَك فَإِنّي لا أُبالي

If he recovers, I breathed no charm over him;

So if he recovers, I have not breathed on him

And if he perishes, I do not care.

And if he dies, I do not care

وَقَد عَلَمَت مَعَدٌّ أَنَّ سَيفي

وَقَد عَلَمَت مَعَدٌّ أَنَّ سَيفي

كَريهٌ كُلَّما دُعِيَت نَزالِ

كَريهٌ كُلَّما دُعِيَت نَزالِ

And Ma'add well knows that my sword

And Ma’add knew that my sword

Is fearsome whenever 'Come down to fight!' is cried.

Is tough whenever it is called to war

أُغاديهِ بِصَقل كُلَّ يَومٍ

أُغاديهِ بِصَقل كُلَّ يَومٍ

وَأَعجُمهُ بِهاماتِ الرِجالِ

وَأَعجُمهُ بِهاماتِ الرِجالِ

I give it a morning polish every day,

I sharpen it every day

And test it on the skulls of men.

And redden it with the blood of men

تَمَنّى مَزيد زَيداً فَلاقى

تَمَنّى مَزيد زَيداً فَلاقى

أَخا ثِقَةٍ إِذا اِختَلَفَ العَوالي

أَخا ثِقَةٍ إِذا اِختَلَفَ العَوالي

Mazid longed to meet Zayd, and encountered

Zayd wished for more of Zayd, so he met

A man to trust when the spearheads clash.

A brother to trust when destinies differ

كَمُنيَةِ جابِرٍ إِذا قالَ لَيتي

كَمُنيَةِ جابِرٍ إِذا قالَ لَيتي

أُصادِفُهُ وَأُتلِفُ بِعضَ مالي

أُصادِفُهُ وَأُتلِفُ بِعضَ مالي

Like Jabir's wish when he said, 'Would that I

Like Munayyah Jabir when he said: If only

Might meet him and sacrifice some of my wealth!'

I would meet him and gain some of his money

تَلاقَينا فَما صُبنا سَواء

تَلاقَينا فَما صُبنا سَواء

وَلَكِن خَرَّ عَن حالٍ فَحالِ

وَلَكِن خَرَّ عَن حالٍ فَحالِ

We met, but we were not struck alike,

We met but did not pour evenly

But he fell from one position to the next.

Rather he fell from a state to a state

وَلَولا قَولُهُ يا زَيدُ قَدني

وَلَولا قَولُهُ يا زَيدُ قَدني

لَقَد قامَت نُوَيرَةُ بِالمَآلي

لَقَد قامَت نُوَيرَةُ بِالمَآلي

And had he not said, 'Zayd, enough for me!'

And were it not for his saying: O Zayd, stop!

Nuwayra would surely have risen with mourning cloths.

Nuwayrah would have led to consequences

شَكَكت ثِيابَهُ لَمّا اِلتَقَينا

شَكَكت ثِيابَهُ لَمّا اِلتَقَينا

بِمُطرَدِ المَهَزَّةِ كَالخلالِ

بِمُطرَدِ المَهَزَّةِ كَالخلالِ

I pierced his garments when we met,

I shook his clothes when we met

With an evenly quivering lance, like a toothpick.

With repeated thrusts like rings

وَأَنزَلَ فارِسُ الرَقعاءِ كُرهاً

وَأَنزَلَ فارِسُ الرَقعاءِ كُرهاً

بِذي شُطَبٍ يُحادِثُ بِالصِقالِ

بِذي شُطَبٍ يُحادِثُ بِالصِقالِ

And the rider of al-Raq'a brought him down by force,

And the knight of Raq’a reluctantly dismounted

With a grooved blade he keeps fresh by polishing.

To one whose youth converses with polishing

أُقَرِّبُ مَربَطَ الهَطالِ إِنّي

أُقَرِّبُ مَربَطَ الهَطالِ إِنّي

أَرى حَرباً سَتَلقَحُ عَن حِيالِ

أَرى حَرباً سَتَلقَحُ عَن حِيالِ

I keep al-Hatal tethered close, for I

I bring the tethered horses closer, I

See a war that will conceive after barrenness.

See a war that will ignite from rage

أُسَوّيهِ بِمَكنِفَ إِذا شَتَونا

أُسَوّيهِ بِمَكنِفَ إِذا شَتَونا

وَأُؤثِرُ عَلى جُلِّ العِيالِ

وَأُؤثِرُ عَلى جُلِّ العِيالِ

I treat him as Maknif's equal when winter comes,

I straighten it with a sword when we contend

And favor him over most of my dependents.

And prefer it over all the household

وَقَد بَلَغَت سُواءَةَ كُلَّ مَجدٍ

وَقَد بَلَغَت سُواءَةَ كُلَّ مَجدٍ

بِأَنفُسِها إِذا سَمِنَت فَصالي

بِأَنفُسِها إِذا سَمِنَت فَصالي

And Suwa'a has attained every glory

And it has reached the evenness of all glory

By its own efforts, whenever my camel calves grow fat.

By itself when the swords glisten white